Rat poison suspected in 2 dog deaths

Late last month, Gwyn Fahrner's dog Max suddenly fell ill with what her veterinarian told her was an intestinal infection.

Antibiotics didn't improve Max's condition, and less than two days later, the 9-year-old black Labrador retriever died.

At the same time, just around the corner in Fahrner's south Naperville neighborhood, Vicky Marshalek, watched Bosco, her 8-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, suffer from similar symptoms -- vomiting and diarrhea -- before dying a day after Max.

Medication veterinarians at the Arboretum View Animal Hospital in Downers Grove had given Bosco did not work, and they concluded the dog had ingested rat poison.

Naperville's Police Department and animal control unit do not believe the two deaths are a coincidence and are investigating whether someone deliberately poisoned Max and Bosco. Police have announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible for the deaths.

Cherie Travis, a lawyer and the associate director of the Center for Animal Law at DePaul University College of Law, said no one in Illinois is permitted to use poison on animals without a permit from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Anyone found guilty of poisoning an animal can be convicted of a misdemeanor, she said. A second offense is a felony that can result in 1 to 3 years in prison, she said.

"There are people out there who decide that they don't like raccoons or a neighbor's cats," Travis said. "It's not uncommon. Most people use things like rat poison or antifreeze, which are things that animals are attracted to."

Though Fahrner said her veterinarian never tested Max to determine if he had ingested rat poison, she believes that it caused his death.

"I would assume Max died of the same thing [as Bosco] because it was an intestinal ailment and because of the close proximity to the Marshaleks' house, and also because of the timing of it all," Fahrner said. "It was awful. Max was a gift to us. It was the most horrible two days I've spent in my life. He should have lived longer."

So far, no one has determined how Max and Bosco could have encountered rat poison, even accidentally. Naperville's animal control unit searched Fahrner's garage and found nothing.

Fahrner said she does not assume that any poisonings were deliberate. She said she recently noticed children -- whom she does not know -- killing baby bunnies in the neighborhood. She speculated the poison may have been placed outdoors by a resident who wanted to kill non-domestic animals.

While the investigation continues, Fahrner said she is being extra-careful with her surviving dog, Lillie, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever.

"Lillie was put on an antibiotic because of this," Fahrner said. "Although I was told she was OK, at one point, she had diarrhea, so I was a little concerned. But she's doing OK now. We haven't let her too far out of our sight."

Marshalek said she also is heartbroken, and that she is content to let the police proceed with their investigation.

"My dog is gone, and nothing is going to bring him back," she said in a brief interview.